“It’s so vital, this mission - it can only be done by creating the most accessible, the most scalable language company in the world.”

The aim to grow to one billion users will create “a legacy” that will at times require sacrifice, he added.

He said: “The nice news is, when we do get there, our intention is to take thebigword public.

“Our intention is to return some of the shares back to everyone who has been part of our dream.”

Chief financial officer Matthew Toynton said the firm will continue to spend £1m to £2m on development each year.

Between 2017 and 2018, key projects and integration will have been completed, delivering £175m revenue, up to 30 per cent workforce growth and profit margins of between 15 and 20 per cent by 2019, he said.

Founder Larry Gould said: “A lot of those plans are based on technology developments, which is really the main driver for our strategy for growth.”